Eleanor the Queen

A bold, brilliant, and defiant 12th-century queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine refuses to be silenced by the powerful men of church and court as she survives two royal marriages, two Crusades, and the birth of ten children—including Richard the Lionheart—to become one of history’s most extraordinary women. Eleanor of Aquitaine rules as a modern heroine in the 12th century, in this beloved classic of royal fiction from renowned author Norah Lofts.At a time when a woman’s value was measured solely by her wealth and the number of sons she bore, Eleanor was the high-spirited, stubborn, and intelligent heiress to the vast duchy of Aquitaine. Her leadership inspired the loyalty of her people, but she was continually doubted and silenced by the men who ruled beside her—the less wise but far more powerful men of the church and court who were unwilling to lose power to a woman, regardless of her rank or ability. Through marriages to two kings, two Crusades, and the births of ten children— including the future King Richard the Lionhearted—Eleanor solidified her place in history. In Eleanor the Queen, Norah Lofts brings to life a brave and complex medieval queen who was centuries ahead of her time.